


Seasons

by bookwyrmling



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Graduation, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 23:23:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11861796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwyrmling/pseuds/bookwyrmling
Summary: Leading up to Seishun Gakuen—across the street and down a block—there is a road lined on both sides with cherry trees. Tezuka has walked it six days a week—save for holidays—for the last three years. He knows the route like the back of his hand.





	Seasons

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 8 of Pillar Pair Weeks 2016. Prompt: Road.
> 
> Crossposted from Tumblr.

Leading up to Seishun Gakuen—across the street and down a block—there is a road lined on both sides with cherry trees. Tezuka has walked it six days a week—save for holidays—for the last three years. He knows the route like the back of his hand.

In spring, the trees are in full blossom—pink and white confetti fluttering on the breeze and sticking to students’ hair and clothes as they welcome in the start of a new year, fresh green leaves just beginning to appear as the weather warms. When the last petal falls and verdant green has won out, it is time to switch to the summer uniform, with the heavy gakuran jacket put away until fall. He had been in awe of the sight on his first day of his first year. In his third, Tezuka is too focused on his schooling, his duties as captain of the tennis club and his duties as student council president to pay them much heed except for when one of his friends drags him out of his own head. He enjoys the sight whenever he remembers to stop and look. He plucks a petal out of Echizen Ryoma’s hair once and Momoshiro teases the first year for the rest of morning practice.

In the heavy heat of summer, the tree-lined road provides constant shade that cools the pathway to something more manageable. In the afternoon, when classes let out or when clubs let out, students can be found loitering in between the trees with ices and canned drinks, making plans to visit the pool over the weekend or on summer break. In his first year, he and Fuji and Oishi and Kikumaru and Inui and Kawamura had grabbed something cold to drink from the nearest convenience store and collapsed in the shade after club let out. Their arms would ache after hundreds of swings and their throats would be sore from shouting each count, but they would drink and chat and laugh. In his third year, Tezuka rarely leaves before the gates close and, by then, the walkway is mostly abandoned—save for the few times he runs into Echizen walking home from the street courts.

Verdant green rampages into burning oranges and fiery yellows come autumn. The leaves fall and blanket the road just as the blossoms had six months ago. Long sleeves and jackets return once more and, as the branches grow barer, scarves and hats and gloves join them. Tezuka had watched Kikumaru jump around to find the crunchiest leaves in their first year—with Inui’s help and a decibel rating scale no one had particularly cared enough about to try to understand. In his third year, Tezuka watches Kikumaru and Momoshiro drag a handful of freshmen along as they jump on leaves, Kikumaru giving lectures on how to find the crunchiest ones by sight. Something feels off, though, like he is listing to one side. Echizen left for America a month ago, he thinks, and wonders if he will have an email from him when he gets home.

By the time fall turns to winter, bare branches scrape against the grey sky. It does not snow much in Tokyo thanks to the warmth of the city and how far south and close to the ocean they are, but that does not mean it does not get cold and in between the murders of crows roosting on gnarled branches and weather that sends girls wearing trackpants under their skirts despite school regulations, no one stays on the path for long. In his first year, Tezuka had kicked at the ground as he walked home after classes let out, pleading with winter to end quickly. There was no club this time of year; the temperature affected the ball’s bounce too much. In his third year, nothing much has changed. Tezuka has access to an indoor tennis court for off-season training, but he’s still waiting, still pleading for spring.

It’s spring when Tezuka graduates from Seishun Gakuen and the cherry trees are in full bloom. He gives his speech, he accepts the diploma as representative for his class and then, when the ceremony is excused, he plays a game of tennis. Afterwards, while he is walking down the road underneath a quivering sea of pink and white, Tezuka realizes this will be the last time he does so and he pauses for a moment to take it in. Cherry blossoms are a sign of beginnings and with the ending of his compulsory education, there is a lot in Tezuka’s life that is about to start. He moves permanently to Germany next week.

“Buchou!”

Tezuka blinks and his gaze drops from the petals to Echizen who is at the end of the road. There is a challenge in his golden eyes and it resonates within Tezuka, as well. The match he had only just won burns a reminder of everything he is working for into his very soul.

“Everyone’s already at Kawamura-sushi,” Echizen add with a raise of his eyebrows that Tezuka knows to mean hurry up before the food is gone and he chuckles. The cherry tree road he will never walk down again is still filled with students and their families standing and chatting and making plans and taking pictures, but Tezuka takes another step along it and towards his destination.

It seems only fitting that Echizen is waiting for him at its end.


End file.
